CED54 (10574 )-WC

Second Revision of IS 9417

: 54 / 15

01 2016

: , 54
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1.

54

2.

3.
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54 (10574) WC

IS 9417
-

:30 2016

Email address: sdrane@bis.gov.in and /or ced54@bis.gov.in

www.bis.org.in

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CED54 (10574 )-WC

Second Revision of IS 9417

DOCUMENT DESPATCH
ADVICE
DRAFT IN WIDE CIRCULATION

Reference

Date

CED 54/T- 15

01 08 2016

TECHNICAL COMMITTEE:
CONCRETE REINFORCEMENT SECTIONAL COMMITTEE, CED 54
ADDRESSED TO:
1. All Interested Members of Civil Engineering Division Council, CEDC
2. All Members of CED 54
3. All others interested
Dear Sir (s),
Please find enclosed the following draft:
Doc. No.
Title
CED 54 (10574) WC DRAFT INDIAN STANDARD (Second Revision of IS 9417)RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WELDING OF HIGH STRENGTH STEEL
BARS FOR REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION
Kindly examine the draft revision and forward your views stating any difficulties which you are
likely to experience in your business or profession, if this is finally adopted as National Standard.
Last Date for comments: 30 September 2016
Comments if any may please be made in the format as given overleaf and mailed to the
undersigned at the above address or on email address: sdrane@bis.gov.in and/or
ced54@bis.gov.in

In case no comments are received or comments received are of editorial nature, you will
kindly permit us to presume your approval for the above documents as finalized.
However, in case comments of technical in nature are received, then it may be finalized
either in consultation with the Chairman, Sectional Committee or referred to the Sectional
Committee for further necessary action if so desired by the Chairman, Sectional
Committee.
This document is also hosted on BIS website www.bis.gov.in.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
(B K Sinha)
Head (Civil Engg.)
Email: ced@bis.org.in
Encl: as above

CED54 (10574 )-WC

Second Revision of IS 9417
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DOC. NO. & TITLE: Doc : CED 54(10574) WC- DRAFT INDIAN STANDARD (Second
Revision of IS 9417) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WELDING OF HIGH STRENGTH
STEEL BARS FOR REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION
LAST DATE OF COMMENTS: 30 September 2016
NAME OF THE COMMENTATOR/ORGANIZATION:
Sl. No. Clause/Sub-clause/Para No.
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CED54 (10574 )-WC

Second Revision of IS 9417
For BIS Use Only

BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS

DRAFT FOR COMMENTS ONLY
(Not to be reproduced without the permission of BIS or used as standard)

Concrete Reinforcement Systems Sectional

Committee CED 54

Last Date of Comments

30 09 2016

Draft Indian Standard

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WELDING OF HIGH STRENGTH STEEL

BARS FOR REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION
(Second Revision of IS 9417)

(IS 9417
)

ICS 25.160:77.140.15

BIS 2016

BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS

MANAK BHAVAN, 9 BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR MARG
NEW DELHI 110002

Month/Year

Price Group XX

CED54 (10574 )-WC

Second Revision of IS 9417

FOREWORD
Formal clause will be added at later stage.
This standard was first published in 1977 deriving assistance from DIN 4099 (Part
1):1972 Welding of reinforced steel Requirement and Tests issued by the Deutsches
Institute for Normung and keeing in view the practices prevailing in the country at that
time. In first revision in 1989, resistance but welding of cold worked bars has been
deleted and reference to gas pressure welding of cold worked bars has been made. Also
provision for the welding of cold worked steel bars conforming to grades Fe 415 & Fe 500
of IS 1786.
In this revision of Indian standard major changes covered are considering the welding of
online quenched steel bars for reinforced concrete construction which also includes high
corrosion resistance (HCR) variety. These changes have been incorporated in light of the
findings of a study conducted by WRI Trichy on the weldability of Cu-Cr and Cu-Thermomechanically Treated (TMT) bars/ online quenched steel bars for reinforced concrete
construction. A new annexure (Annexure D) on Gas metal arc welding (GMAW) using
CO2 is also been added.
1. SCOPE
1.1. This standard lays down recommendations for welding bars conforming to grades
Fe 415, Fe 415D, Fe500 and Fe500D of IS 1786 High strength deformed steel bars and
wires for concrete reinforcements-specifications(fourth revision) by flash butt welding,
shielded metal arc welding, gas pressure welding and Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)
using CO2
2. REFERENCES
2.1 The Indian Standards listed in Annexure A are necessary adjuncts to this standard.
3. TERMINOLOGY
3.1 For the purpose of this standard, definitions given in IS 812 shall apply.
4. PLANS AND DRAWING
4.1
Plans and drawing for welding reinforced bars shall be prepared in accordance
with SP 46 : 2003
5. SYMBOLS
5.1 Symbols for welding used in plans and shop drawings shall conform to IS 813.
6. WELDING EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES

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6.1 Welding equipment and accessories used in welding of steel bars for concrete
reinforcement shall conform to the requirements of the appropriate Indian Standards
where available. Where an Indian Standard is not available, equipment and accessories
shall be of the best available quality. Their capacity shall be adequate for the welding
procedure. A general guidance for selection of equipment and accessories is included in
Annex B.
7. PARENT METAL
7.1
The parent metal shall be of guaranteed wieldable quality of steel conforming to IS
1786
8. SAFETY AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
8.1 Safety and health requirements as prescribed in IS 818 shall be applicable. Fire
precautions shall be as given in IS 3016
9. ELECTRODES
9.1 Electrodes used shall conform to IS 814
10. WELDING PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES
10.1.1 Online quenched bars shall be either butt welded or lap welded. Butt welding may
be carried out either by flash butt, gas pressure or by shielded metal arc welding process.
Lap welding may be carried out by shielded metal arc welding process and Gas metal arc
welding (GMAW) using CO2.
10.1.2 Bars of unequal diameter may be welded. However, in case of butt welding, the
difference in diameter of bars shall not exceed 5 mm. Where unequal diameter bars are
welded, the dimension d mentioned in this standard refers to diameter of the smaller bar.
10.1.3 The surface of the ends of the bars to be welded shall be clean and free from rust,
paint, grease and/or other contaminants which are likely to affect the quality of weld.
10.2 Flash Butt Welding of Online Quenched Steel Bars
10.2.1 Flash butt welding may be adopted if a large number of welding has to be done at
the same place and when the electric supply is available of the required capacity in
respect of the cross sectional area of the maximum size of the bar to be welded.
10.2.2 Procedure
10.2.2.1 The ends of the bars to be welded should be placed in proper alignment in
clamps so that bent or eccentric joints do not result. The clamps should be cleaned before
each welding operation to avoid current loss and to eliminate harmful notches or grooves
due to burning in of spots of arcing.

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10.2.2.2 The bar ends shall be uniformly pushed against each other from the moment of
contact to the up-setting. The transformer regulator should be so set that the current at
the contact area is between 85 to 90 A/mm2.
10.2.2.3 If the capacity of butt welding machine or the available power is not sufficient to
take the load for welding from cold, welding may be done after preheating. By making and
breaking of the contact arc repeatedly, heat can be made to spread over the entire cross
section of the bar. He number of short-circuits (contacts and reversing) should be kept to
the minimum possible so that the welding time and spread of heat in the longitudinal
direction in the bar is minimum. Satisfactory joints with only slight reduction in original
strength of the bar can be achieved with current density up to 25 A/mm 2.
10.2.2.4 In automatic machines, the flash rate should be so set that a continuous flash
without interruption can be achieved. If the rate is set, too high additional short-circuits are
required leading to heat spread. If the rate is too low, the flash will be interrupted and
consequently air penetrating into the joints will form oxides. If the machine is handoperated, the flash should be maintained to avoid interruption.
10.2.2.5 For bars with sheared ends, a burn-off (flash-off) length of about 5 to 7 mm is
required (this length is practically independent of the bar diameter). Very short burn-off
lengths lead to defective welding because all the impurities may not have been removed
from the place of welding. Increase in the burn-off length will spread heat along the length
of the bar thus reducing the strength of the bar.
10.2.2.6 The up-setting should result from the burning off, that is, without interruption in
the rain of sparks. The electric supply should be switched off about 1/3 to 1 second after
the start of the up-setting or in the case of automatic machine after 1 to 3 mm of up-set
travel.
The voltage and frequency of the current should be checked before commencing the
welding operation. Deviations from the nominal value or large fluctuations during the
operation may lead to gross defects in welding. Wherever possible, welding should be
done during day time when the total load on the network is fairly balanced.
10.3 Butt-Welding by Shielded Metal Arc Welding Process
10.3.1 General
Butt-welds by metal arc welding process are normally adopted to join bars of thickness
more than 20 mm.
10.3.2 Preparation for Welding
10.3.2.1 The preparation of the edges of the rods shall be as shown in Fig.1. The edges
shall be prepared by shearing, machining, or oxy-acetylene flame cutting. Beveling may

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be made by machining, grinding oxy-acetylene cutting. The fusion faces and the
surrounding material shall be free from scale, dirt, greases, paint, Rust and contaminants.
10.3.2.2 When it is not possible to rotate the bars for carrying out all welding in flat
position, the edge preparation shall be such that welding is done on both sides in the
vertical position.
10.3.2.3 All the bars to be butt welded should be aligned and set up in position with their
axis in one straight line. This may be done in a jig or by means of a clamp or by using
guides. Rotation of the bars should be avoided until they are adequately welded so that
no disturbance to the alignment is caused and no twist is introduced in the bars during the
process of welding. The joints may not be out of alignment by more that 25 percent of the
thickness of the thinner material for material up to and including 12 mm thick, or by more
than 3 mm for thicker material.

10.3.3 Electrode
10.3.3.1 Welding electrodes with flux covering of Type 3 or Type 6 of IS 814 are
recommended for better results depending on the size of the bar to be welded. Storage of
the latter type and their drying immediately prior to use must be strictly in accordance with
the recommendation of the electrode manufacturer.
10.3.3.2 The size of electrodes depends upon the position of the bead and thickness of
the bar to be welded. The root runs should be made with electrodes of size not exceeding
2.5 mm. For successive beads, the size of the electrodes should be progressively
increased so that in the top bead, the electrode size does not generally exceed 3.15 mm
for 20 mm bars and 5 mm for 40 mm bars.
10.3.3.3 Concentration of heat shall be avoided by proper welding sequence and
manipulation of electrodes.

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10.3.4 Procedure
10.3.4.1 The sequence of welding beads is shown in Fig.2. The runs 1 to 4 are made in
the position of welding best suited for the quality of the weld. Besides the interruption in
welding required for cleaning of each bead, a pause shall be made after every second
bead and the bar is allowed to cool. The temperature of the bars at a distance of about
one bar diameter from the joints shall not exceed 300 oC immediately after the bead is
made. Before commencing the next bead, the temperature shall not exceed 250 oC. The
temperature may be checked approximately by using temperature indicating crayons.
However, in the absence of temperature indicating devices, the bar may be allowed to
cool down to hand hot temperature before the next bead is deposited.
After completing bead 4, the bars are turned through 180 o and the beads 5 to 7 are made
in the same manner as described above. The top bead 8 is deposited as the joint is
continuously rotated and the size of the reinforcement should be approximately as
indicated in Fig.2.
10.3.4.2 In the case of non-rotatable bars, the beads 1 to 4 should be made as explained
in 10.3.4.1. The welder then moves to the other side and beads 5 to 7 are similarly made.
It is difficult to deposit a uniform top bead for non-rotatable bars and it may be necessary
to make two or more separate annular runs so that the joint is approximately
axisymmetric and has sufficient reinforcement as shown in Fig.2.

10.4 Butt Welding by Gas Pressure Welding Process

10.4.1 Gas pressure welding is basically a hot forging process of joining the two bars end
to end. The bar ends are heated by a multi-nozzle burner using oxy-acetylene flame and
fused by forcing the two bar ends against each other under pressure to effect a solid
phase welded joint.

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10.5 Lap Welding of Online Quenched Steel Bars

10.5.1 General
Lap joints may be made in online quenched steel bars of all sizes. They are preferred
when access for welding is from one side only, and while connecting prefabricated units.
Use of electrodes with flux covering of Type 3 or Type 6 of IS 814 are recommended for
better results depending on the size of bar being welded. Storage of the latter type and
their drying immediately prior to use must be strictly in accordance with the
recommendations of the electrode manufacturer.
10.5.2 Preparation for Welding
Edge preparation is not necessary for lap welds. The joint faces and the surrounding
material shall be free from scale, dirt, grease, paint, rust and contaminants.
10.5.3 Electrodes
The size of electrodes according to the diameter of the bar to be welded shall be as
follows:
Normal Diameter of Bar, d
Size of Electrode, Max mm
Up to and including 10
2.5
Over 10 up to and including 18
3.15
Over 18 up to and including 28
4.0
Over 28
5.0
10.5.4 Procedure
The arc should be struck as shown in Fig.3. Somewhere in the middle of the joint and not
at its beginning.
The movement of the electrode for welding lap joints in the horizontal and vertical position
is indicated in Fig.3.
The various lap joints used to connect cold-worked bars are shown in Fig.4 to 7.
In Fig. 4 to 6, the dimensions indicated as 5d for single side welding should be halved to
2.5d if the welds are deposited from the opposite side also. The single-strap
arrangement shown in Fig.7 is not recommended where access is from one side only. In
the case of joints illustrated in Fig.6 and 7, the strap material must also conform to 7 and
the strap cross sectional area must, at least, equal that of the bar to be joined.
10.6 Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) may be employed using CO2

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10.6.1 GMAW uses a continuous and consumable wire electrode and CO2 as the
shielding gas. This welding procedure should be carried out indoors. GMAW is not
recommended for butt joints.
10.6.2 Annexure D gives more information about GMAW

11 VISUAL INSPECTION
11.1 Shape of Profile
The profile of the welds shall be uniform, slightly convex and free from overlap at the toes
of the welds.

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11.2 Uniformity of surface

The weld surface shall be uniform in appearance throughout its length and shall show no
pronounced hump or crater.
11.3 Degree of undercut
The welded joint shall be free from undercut but slight intermittent occurrences may be
disregarded.
11.4 Freedom from Surface Defects
The surface of the weld shall be free from cracks, cavities, solid inclusions and other
visible defects.
11.5 Misalignment
The misalignment of the bars welded shall not exceed one-fourth of bar diameter or 5 mm
whichever is less.
12 INITIAL TESTS
12.1 Prior to production welding, test welds shall be carried out under the local production
conditions to establish that the proposed joints can be made satisfactorily. For the purpose,
the tests shall be the same as for Quality Control Tests in 13 but only 3 test pieces will be
required for tensile test and 3 for bend test. Such initial tests shall be repeated if there is
any change in:
a) the welding process;
b) the grade of online quenched steel bars;
c) the type or size of electrode;
d) the welder; and
e) the position of welding, unless the new position is an easier one.
13 Butt Welds
13.1 Butt Welds
Test pieces containing butt welds at the centre in the as-welded condition shall be
selected at the rate of one for tensile test and one for bend test for every 100 joints or as
decided by the engineer-in-charge.
13.1.1 Tensile Test

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Unmachined specimens with a free length bet- ween grips about 20d should he used. The
selected pieces when subjected to a tensile test shall have tensile strength not less than
90 percent or the actual tensile strength of the bar but in no case less than 485 MPa for
grade Fe 415 and 545 MPa for grade Fe 500 of IS 1786. The fracture shall not take place
in the weld joint.
13.1.2 Bend Test
The welding flash or reinforcement shall be removed at the point where contact is made
with the mandrel. The welded joint shall be capable of being bent to an angle of 60 o
around a mandrel of diameter specified below, before any crack appears:
Nominal Diameter of Bar, d
mm
Up to 10
Over 10

Diameter of mandrel
mm
5d
7d

13.2 Lap Joints

Test pieces containing lap joints at their centre in the as-welded condition shall be
selected at the rate of one sample for tensile test for every 100 joints or as decided by the
engineer-in-charge.
13.2.1 Tensile Test
The free specimen length between grips must be between 25 d and 30 d where d is the
nominal diameter of the bar. The breaking load shall not be less than the guaranteed load
in accordance with IS 1786 required to fracture the bar.
14 RETESTS
14.1 If a sample selected for testing fails to meet the requirements given under 13.1 and
13.2, the purchaser or his representative shall take two further samples from the same lot.
If on testing, either of the samples fails to meet the specified requirements, the whole lot
shall be rejected.

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ANNEX A
(Clause 2.1)
LIST OF REFERRED INDIAN STANDARDS
Is No.

Title

SP 46: 2003

Engineering drawing practice for schools and colleges

IS 812:1957

Glossary of terms relating to welding and cutting of metals

IS 813: 1986
IS 814: 2004

Scheme of symbols for welding (first revision)

Covered electrodes for manual metal arc welding of carbon and
carbon manganese steel-specification (sixth revision)

IS 818:1968

Code of practice for safety and health requirements in electric and

gas welding and cutting operations (first revision )

IS 1179:1967

Specification for equipment for eye and face protection during

welding (first revision)

IS 1786: 2008

High strength deformed steel bars and wires for concrete

reinforcements specification (fourth revision)

IS 1851: 1997

Single operator type arc welding transformers- specification (third

revision )

IS 2635: 1997

DC electric welding generators-specifications ( third revision )

IS 2641: 1989

Electric welding accessories-specifications (first revision)

IS 2751: 1979

Code of practice for welding of mild steel plain and deformed bars for
reinforced construction ( first revision)

IS 3016:1982

Code of practice for fire precautions in welding and cutting operations

IS 9595: 1996

Metal arc welding of carbon and carbon manganese steelsRecommendations (first revision)

IS 9857: 1990

Welding cables- specifications (first revision)

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ANNEX B
(Clause 6.1)
SELECTION OF EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES FOR WELDING COLD-WORKED
BARS USED FOR REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION
B-1 GENERAL
z
B-1.1 The methods of welding covered in this annex are: a) Flash butt welding, and b)
Shielded metal arc welding with covered electrodes.
B-2 FLASH BUTT WELDING EQUIPMENT
B-2.1 The efficiency of the flash butt welding equipment, manifested by its conjunctive
efficiency for cold-worked steels should be about 8 kVA/cm of the cross sectional are2 of
the bar in order that sufficient cold weld may be accomplished.
B-2.2 The jaws for clamping the bars should preferably be long and pin shaped in order to
assume 2 rectilinear central feeding of the bar ends. The joint should preferably be of
copper to assume a smooth and uniform flow of current from the jaws into the bar.
B-3 SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING EQUIPMENT
B-3.1 In its simplest form, the equipment required for shielded metal arc welding of coldworked steel bars for concrete reinforcing consists of:
a) Welding power source;
b) Accessories, such as, electrode holders, earth clamp, welding cable, connectors,
chipping hammer and wire brush;
c) Protective equipment for the operator, such as, hand screen or helmet, gloves,
apron, etc; and
d) Suitable electrode storage and drying equipment, where necessary.
B-3.1.1 Welding Power Source
The current for welding may be alternating or direct. There is little to choose between
them for work involving mild steel welding. Electricity from the mains is usually at too high
a voltage for are welding. Various types of equipment are used for reducing this voltage
and delivering a welding current of right characteristics.
B-3.1.1.1 Alternating current transformer of oil-cooled or air-cooled type has the
advantage of being low in initial cost and requiring very little maintenance. Various types
of controls for varying the current to suit conditions are in common use. Some of these
are: (a) a static choke with tappings, (b) a choke the value of which may be varied by
means of the movement of the core, (c) a choke with a saturable core, and (d) a variable

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flux linkage transformer. Being essentially a single-phase load, welding transformers

when connected to 3-phase supply mains may cause slightly unbalanced load conditions.
Condensers of adequate rating may also be connected across the input lines for
improving the power factor.
B-3.1.1.2 Rotary machines, such as, motor generators suitable for use on alternatingcurrent mains give a direct current output of the required characteristics. They have the
advantage- that they impose a balanced load on 3-phase supply mains. They are,
however, initially more expensive and require more maintenance than transformers.
B-3.1.2 Where the mains supply is direct current, a motor generator designed for direct
current mains use has to be selected.
B-3.1.3 Rectifier welding sets which are relatively high in initial cost, require very little
maintenance because of elimination of most moving parts. They also impose a balanced
load on 3-phase supply mains.
B-3.1.4 For work at sites where mains power supply is not available, a petrol or diesel
engine driven welding generator may be selected. Such machines are often mounted on
trailers for easy portability.
B-3.1.5 Other points to be considered when selecting the equipment are:
a) that the machine is designed to work satisfactorily in the climatic conditions that will
be met with during service;
b) that it is well made and conforms to relevant Indian Standards, wherever these
exist; and
c) that the current capacity is adequate for welding with the sizes of electrodes
expected to be used.
B-3.1.5.1 IS 1851 covers transformer welding equipment and IS 2635 covers motor
generator equipment for manual metal arc welding.
B-3.1.5.2 Electrode holders shall conform to the requirements laid down in IS 2641 and
shall be of suitable rating for welding with electrodes in sizes expected to be used.
B-3.1.5.3 Welding cables shall conform to the requirements laid down in IS 9857, if
cables with copper conductors are used. Cables with aluminium conductors shall be of a
quality proved for performance. Two lengths of cables are required, one from the welding
set to the electrode holder and the other from the work piece to the welding set.
B-3.1.5.4 All cable terminal connections, such as, sockets-earth clamp, shall also conform
to the requirements specified in IS 2641.

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B-3.1.5.5 A well-made chipping hammer with a hardened and tough cutting edge and a
narrow type wire brush which may reach the root of the weld would also be required for
deslagging and cleaning the weld.
B-3.1.6 Protective Equipment
A non-conducting hand screen or helmet fitted with protective filter lens will be required to
protect the face and eyes of the operator from the ultra-violet and infra-red rays emitted
by the arc. The filter lens has the double function of securing good vision of the arc and
giving effective protection by cutting off the harmful rays. The eye and face protection
equipment should conform to the appropriate stipulations laid down in IS 1179.
B-3.1.6.1 Aprons and leather gloves should be of a standard that has been proved
adequate for welders use. Shoulder guards, leggings and other such protective garments
may be necessary when the operator has to do positional welding in conditions where
freedom of movement is restricted.
B-3.1.7 Storage
The conditions of the electrodes used have an important bearing on the ultimate quality of
the weld produced. Particularly, when moist ambient conditions are envisaged, for
instance, at site work, the storage of electrodes has to be given much attention. Heated
storage cabinets or drying ovens arc a must when low hydrogen type electrodes are
being used for site work. Other types of electrodes also are preferably stored before use
in such cabinets when ambient conditions are unfavourable.
ANNEX C
(Clause 10.4.2)
GAS PRESSURE WELDING
C-1 GAS PRESSURE WELDING PROCESS
The gas pressure welding process may be used for butt welding of reinforcing bars.
C-1.1 Preparation for Welding
C-1.1.1 The ends of bars and the extreme un- twisted ends of new bars shall be cut by
shearing or machining to make the face approximately normal to the axis of the bar. Care
should be taken to ensure that the bar ends do not twist while shearing.
C-1.1.2 Rust, oil, paint, cement paste and any other coating over the bar-ends shall be
removed and the surfaces to be welded shall be finished as flat as possible.
C-1.2 Procedure
C-1.2.1 Bars are clamped securely in the clamping unit with no misalignment keeping the
gap between the bar ends less than 3 mm.

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C-1.2.2 To begin with, the bar ends are heated by a reducing flame to avoid any oxide
formation. The flame shall be directed at the joint and the burner shall be rotated to
ensure uniform heating of the bar ends. On sufficient heating, the gap between the bars
ends shall be closed by the application of axial pressure (preliminary or first stage
pressurization).
C-1.2.3 After preliminary pressurization and complete closing of the gap, the bar ends
shall be heated by a neutral flame. The heating shall be done for an appropriate period
ensuring that the bar ends do not melt.
C-1.2.4 On sufficient heating of the bar ends, appropriate axial pressure (final or second
stage pressurization) is applied so that the bulge at the weld interface is about 14 times
the bar diameter. Heating shall be stopped at this stage. However, pressure application
shall be maintained for some time even after the flame is put off.
C-1.2.5 The bars shall be unclamped after the glow of the heated area vanishes.
C-1.2.6 In case the flame dies out during heating, the affected area shall be cut off and
the welding procedure begun afresh.
C-2 GAS PRESSURE WELDING EQUIPMENT
C-2.1 The equipment for gas pressure welding comprises of:
a) Oxygen and acetylene gas cylinders with regulating values, etc;
b) Multi-nozzle burner;
c) Clamping unit; and
d) Pressurizer.
C-2.1.1 The burner consists of a blow pipe with four or more nozzles. The nozzles shall
be so arranged to ensure uniform heating of the bar surface. The burner shall provide
stable flame during heating and the heating capacity shall be appropriate to the size of
the bar.
C-2.1.2 The clamping unit shall grip the bars well, be easy to handle, capable of being
used in horizontal or vertical position of welding, and have such mechanism that no
misalignment develops at the welded portion. C-2.1.3 Pressurizer shall be either hydraulic
or mechanical and may be either manually operated or electrically driven. The pressurizer
shall be capable of maintaining uniform axial pressure

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ANNEX D
(Clause 10.6.2)
GAS METAL ARC WELDING USING CO2
D-1 GAS METAL ARC WELDING PROCESS
The Gas Metal Arc Welding Process using CO2 may be used for lap welding of online
quenched steel bars. However, in view of the constraint of space for the torch, butt
welding is not recommended.
D-2 GAS METAL ARC WELDING EQUIPMENT
D-2.1 The equipment for Gas Metal Arc Welding consists of:
a. Welding gun and wire feed unit;
b. Welding Power Supply;
c.

An electrode; and

d. Shielding gas (CO2) supply.

D-2.1.1 The most common welding gun is a hand held air-cooled gun, it is used for
general welding. The second most common type of welding torch is water-cooled, it uses
higher current levels for heavier sections and larger wire diameters. The third typical
holder type is an automatic gun that is water cooled; this gun is used typically with
automated equipment.
D-2.1.2 Most applications of gas metal arc welding use a constant voltage power supply.
As a result, any change in arc length (which is directly related to voltage) results in a large
change in heat input and current. A shorter arc length will cause a much greater heat
input, which will make the wire electrode melt more quickly and thereby restore the
original arc length. This helps operators keep the arc length consistent even when
manually welding with hand-held welding guns. To achieve a similar effect, sometimes a
constant current power source is used in combination with an arc voltage-controlled wire
feed unit. In this case, a change in arc length makes the wire feed rate adjust in order to
maintain a relatively constant arc length. In rare circumstances, a constant current power
source and a constant wire feed rate unit might be coupled, especially for the welding of
metals with high thermal conductivities, such as aluminum. This grants the operator
additional control over the heat input into the weld, but requires significant skill to perform
successfully.
Alternating current is rarely used with GMAW; instead, direct current is employed and the
electrode is generally positively charged. Since the anode tends to have a greater heat

CED54 (10574 )-WC

Second Revision of IS 9417

concentration, this results in faster melting of the feed wire, which increases weld
penetration and welding speed. The polarity can be reversed only when special emissivecoated electrode wires are used, but since these are not popular, a negatively charged
electrode is rarely employed.
D-2.1.3 Electrode selection is based primarily on the composition of the metal being
welded, the process variation being used, joint design and the material surface
conditions. Electrode selection greatly influences the mechanical properties of the weld
and is a key factor of weld quality. In general the finished weld metal should have
mechanical properties similar to those of the base material with no defects such as
discontinuities, entrained contaminants or porosity within the weld. To achieve these
goals a wide variety of electrodes exists. All commercially available electrodes contain
deoxidizing metals such as silicon, manganese, titanium and aluminum in small
percentages to help prevent oxygen porosity. Some contain denitriding metals such as
titanium and zirconium to avoid nitrogen porosity. Depending on the process variation and
base material being welded the diameters of the electrodes used in GMAW typically
range from 0.7 to 2.4 mm (0.0280.095 in) but can be as large as 4 mm (0.16 in). The
smallest electrodes, generally up to 1.14 mm (0.045 in) are associated with the shortcircuiting metal transfer process, while the most common spray-transfer process mode
electrodes are usually at least 0.9 mm (0.035 in).
D-2.1.4 Shielding gases are necessary for gas metal arc welding to protect the welding
area from atmospheric gases such as nitrogen and oxygen, which can cause fusion
defects, porosity, and weld metal embrittlement if they come in contact with the electrode,
the arc, or the welding metal. This problem is common to all arc welding processes; for
example, in the older Shielded-Metal Arc Welding process (SMAW), the electrode is
coated with a solid flux which evolves a protective cloud of carbon dioxide when melted
by the arc. In GMAW, however, the electrode wire does not have a flux coating, and a
separate shielding gas is employed to protect the weld. This eliminates slag, the hard
residue from the flux that builds up after welding and must be chipped off to reveal the
completed weld. Typical gas-flow amounts are approximately 2025 l/min (4050 ft/h).